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Fastfood Philippines: Buddy's
I was not privileged enough to have grown up in my mom’s hometown of Lucban but I’m proud to consider it as part of my roots. Famous for the annual Pahiyas Festival, people from all over the world come to see Lucban's houses and streets decorated in bright neon colored kiping or rice leaves. This festival is a celebration of a plentiful harvest. What you sow, you reap, and then comes the best part… eating.
There is a fantastic menagerie of foods that come from Lucban. One of them is Pancit Habhab or Pancit Luglog- pasta made from rice flour instead of the usual wheat flour and eggs. It is called Habhab because it’s eaten “habhab” style- wrapped on a banana leaf using no fork, right there on the street. Chewy and dripping with a combination of soy sauce and boiled animal broth, it’s a slurping good time.
It used to be that you’d have to go all the way to Lucban to partake of this delicacy. But now, Buddy’s has brought it to Manila. For only P125, you can get Habhab good for three people served with a piece of banana leaf tucked into its Styrofoam container. Buddy’s, a fast food chain originated from Lucban and spread out to Manila- bringing with it a festival atmosphere as well as a whole slew of provincial foods.
In Buddy’s, you have a variety of Filipino favorites like menudo, adobo, laing and your choice of sizzling meats. They also have Filipino style spaghetti, pizza, and longganisa burger. But the one thing you mustn’t leave home without trying is Langgonisang Lucban. It’s basically a sausage that’s a mix of pork, spices, vinegar, tons of garlic stuffed into dried pork intestine. Deep fry and serve with fried rice. Heavenly.
Check out Buddy’s monstrous fiesta menu conveniently located in Taguig, Makati, and Ortigas.
Phone Number: 895-7185, 895-7980
(Fastfood Philippines is a continuous series of posts about fast food places that are unique to the country. Watch out as I feature more of them soon)
Apartment 1B. For the Dream Dinner Party.
I’m a girl who dreams of living the good life complete with a posh loft, a fabulous circle of friends, and a recipe for a dinner party to die for. As of now, I only have the second. Luckily, Apartment 1B has kindly provided the rest.
Apartment 1B is a gourmet restaurant located in the Salcedo Village of Makati. Like the name implies, its set-up mirrors a two-storey apartment. Clean and cozy, you’ll settle right in with its homey interiors. They have couches and dining tables aplenty, as well as beautiful paintings up on the walls. A giant flat-screen shows the latest on TV and there’s free wi-fi for it web enslaved clientele. The ambience is really crafty, its classy but understated quality doesn’t prepare you for the glorious meal that’s coming.
To further the gourmet at home theme, they make a spectacular meatloaf. I never thought meatloaf could taste anything but ordinary. I also got to try their grilled porkchops which were so tender, it was hard to believe it was pork. It also came with a potato grain gratin which was pure layered deliciousness. My two friends gobbled up the samosas before I could have any, but they loved how unlike regular samosas, these are baked with cheese, mushrooms, and spinach inside.
Toblerone cheesecake with strawberry coulis was my favorite order of the night. It was made of creamy cheese with bits of white toblerone embedded inside. Topped with whipped cream, and lying on a bed of strawberry syrup, it possessed a multitude of contrasting flavors in one bite. Another easy dessert pick was the frozen pie vanilla ice cream cake. With oreo encrusted sides and vanilla center, it became truly over the top with caramel and chocolate syrup all over it.
This is the first time, I actually trooped over to a restaurant with a giddy anticipation for the food. Luckily, Apartment 1B lived up to the expectation.Every bite was a surprise. Even a cheapskate like me won't mind shelling out P500-P700 for another meal here. My only caveat is that it can get crowded so be sure to reserve. Also, the noise of the people around you reverberates. However, I just think... if I was holding a dinner party, I’d want people to intensely loud and rambunctious too. It just goes to show, they’re having a great time.
G/F One Lafayette Square
132 L.P. Leviste Corner Sedeno St
Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227
Tel: 843-4075
Email: apartment_1b@yahoo.com
Sango. Salute the Burger Master
When you get right down to it, a burger is just meat stuck in the middle of bread. However, little intricacies make a big difference. In this post, I will attempt to explain why with even the hundreds of burger joints in the metro, Sango, has rightly dubbed itself – the Burger Master.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go into Sango- a resto that’s a Japanese take on typical western cuisine. Located in Mile Long, the place has a modest look that says, “buddy, you’re here for the food”. Don’t worry though because it’s got quirky bits of entertainment to keep you busy while you wait. Along the walls, you’ll see stacks of Japanese literature- the latest manga comics, magazines, and newspapers. Enjoy J-pop videos blasting from the TV sets. Two things to take notice of - the Japanese community actually patronize Sango so you know it’s authentic. Secondly the service is so friendly, you’d think the staff are cheery cyborgs imported straight from the land of the rising sun.
Their bestseller is called the Master Burger. Made from tasty beef topped with a secret tomato salsa mixed in with a handful of chopped onions, it’s a soft shapeless work of art unlike any other burger. I don’t know what they put in that thing, but it has the ability to make a bad day go away. A word of warning- the salsa makes this burger extra sloppy, but to me getting down and dirty with food makes for a better meal. For those who don’t share that belief, there’s always a spoon. Believe me, it’ll come in handy when you scrounge up the little morsels left over in your bag.
When something is this good, it’s hard to go out and try something new. That’s why I always get that with a side order of large fries. The French fries are a wonder on its own. Almost the size of your pinky, they’re crunchy to the bite with a center that’s soft and gooey. You can tell that these are made from real potatoes. No one can resist taking the lion’s share, so don’t even attempt to split it. The Master Burger with cheese and fries will set you back around P150.
The other things on their menu which look super good- chicken burger with cheese and the yakiniku rice burger. Do try the macha azuki corn flake shake as well. The one I had was green-tea flavored. It had red beans and mochi balls at the bottom, sprinkled with cornflakes. Undeniably Japanese! When you dine in, wait for their surprise gift at the end- just a little something to seal the deal.
Sango: The Burger Master
Room 5 G/F CreekSide Mall
Amorsolo St. cor Legaspi Vill. Makati
830-0391
Pepper Lunch. Launched.
Filipinos who have been to Japan and Singapore have eagerly awaited the coming of Pepper Lunch in the Philippines. Recently, this DIY fast food steakhouse has found a home in Powerplant Mall in Rockwell. In just a matter of weeks, it’s become the “it” restaurant to try with an actual line at the entrance to prove it. But the question remains, is it worth the hype?
Using first-class beef from Australia and New Zealand, Norwegian salmon, selected chicken thigh meat and finely sliced leg of lamb, Pepper Lunch serves the meals piping hot on a specially designed electromagnetic hot plate. This unique offering allows them to serve their meats raw, so you can cook it just the way you like. The plates are trimmed with paper to warn people of the heat and serve as barrier from spitting sizzles.
Being a certified cheapskate and a discerning foodie, I tried out the cheapest thing on the menu- Beef Pepper for around P198. It’s a carpaccio-thin beef,?served around fluffy rice base with bits of yellow corn kernels.?My friends ordered the same and they were more than happy with their choice, but that’s after they poured in a cup of the special honey brown sauce. I was a little disappointed. But then, maybe that first hot bite seared my tongue and the intense smell of grilling meat all around me was too distracting.
Let’s just put it this way, I wouldn’t mind trying it again. Maybe, when the lines subside I’ll come back to dine on something pricey like, and the P570 Shimofuri Pepper Steak. Some things on their menu that have also caught my eye are the Hitokuchi Cut Steak, Hamburger Steak with fried egg, and Curry Beef Pepper Steak. Yes, it’s hungry carnivore haven best reserved for those days when you want to binge and blow out.
Café Juanita. One Big Beautiful Mess.
My dinner friend commented. “How can a place that’s one big mess look so nice?” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Topsy-turvy and overflowing with what seems like junk, Café Juanita has an ambiance unlike by any other resto. It’s almost as if a junkyard piece procreated with an antique fixture and populated the entire place with little junkyard treasures that proceeded to hyperactively breed their own baby trinkets. The effect of having all these mismatched pieces together is strangely comforting.
The menu is just as confusing and just as enchanting. They serve an
odd mix of Filipino, Mediterranean, Asian, and Japanese favorites.
I’ve been there three times and I’m still looking forward to testing out the abundant food choices. So far, I’ve loved the impeccably presented catfish mango salad. The chicken mozzarella, adobo spareribs, and salmon sashimi were also superb.
The thing that sets Café Juanita apart is their willingness to experiment with dishes. Take the classic Pinoy sticky pudding. They made it toffee flavored and added ice cream. They paired the infamous Sisig, a Filipino dish made of pig brains and face, with tofu. They also have a pasta with taba ng talangka or crab fat. Innovations like that are what keeps things interesting and it’s totally in line with their seemingly, “there’s beauty in chaos” philosophy.
Independent restaurants are wonderful because you feel the love and passion of the people behind it. This place is definitely for those close to your heart. So if the occasion calls for shabby chic aesthetic and inventive food is on the agenda, it just might be time for Café Juanita.
Expect to spend P350-P500 a person.
Café Juanita
21 United Street corner West Capitol Drive
Barrio Kapitolyo
Open daily: 11am to 2pm; 5.30pm to 10pm.
Fridays open until 12 midnight.
+63 2 6320357.
Swagat. A Spicy Welcome.
Indian food because of its inherent spiciness is always fun. It’s nice to have those pauses when you realize that you underestimated the spiciness of a dish and are now trying to overcompensate with long breaths or large gulps of water. If you find a meal where you get licked by flames and keep coming back for more as amusing as I do, then welcome to Swagat.
Coincidentally, Swagat already means welcome as told to me by the sari-clothed Filipina waitress. Their garb is a little comical but nonetheless endearing, just like the constant Indian movies playing on the flat screen. The explosively colored Indian inspired motif is a little forced on a space that’s obviously meant for an office, but it adds to the place’s kitsch quality.
But back to the thing that matters most, the food. Famous for their Biryani, you’ll no doubt find one that’s apt to your liking. I ordered the Sangan Biryani, a chicken and lamb dish cooked with fresh ground herbs in cream mughlai sauce with Indian rice. I also tried the Anda Paratha which is basically naan (Indian pita bread) stuffed with eggs and spices.
Be prepared though, the level of spiciness in Swagat has not been properly calibrated for those who, like me, are just recent converts to spicy food. I found out the hard way… after two orders of yogurt, a glass of mango lassi, and two glasses of water later. So for those who don’t dare, best stick to mild.
119 FCC Building Rada St. Legaspi Village
Makati City
Tel: 752-5669
Mickey's Delicatessen. Sausages and so Much More.
Refined rowdiness. Pub pleasant. Civilized drunkenness. All these are oxymorons that can describe a night out at Mickey’s Delicatessen.
Stepping into Mickey’s you’d never think that it was a German pub/deli. The place exudes incredible warmth with its brick walls and wood flooring. It’s got an open kitchen that showcases what you should order one hundred times better than any menu. Add to this the wood-burning oven that fills the air with smells of their famed Nurnberger Pork Sausages fill the air. Order that or the grilled sausage sampler to get a taste of their specialties.
Attached right beside it is the Lartizan bakery where they make glorious ciabatta bread, the crust for their Quattro Formaggio, simply divine for a basic four-cheese pizza. Another Ciabatta bread creation is the Mickey’s Super Sandwich monstrosity. Rumored to be the longest sandwich in town, it has an assortment of meats and will serve over six people.
Michael, the owner and head chef, a boisterous German man who prefers to be outside with his customers rather than cooped up in the kitchen will no doubt be able to recommend the right beer to go with your meal. Chat him up before his wife and business partner shoos him back in to where he belongs.
There are times when you want to drink beer and just get lost in sexy albeit civilized conversation. If you are in that state of mind, then consider going to Mickey’s. It’s got a homey almost feminine ambience with food that’s anything but. The place seems to attract a lot of cute white guys making Mickey’s, literally and figuratively, a sausage fest.